Float-controlled suction intake device for forced feed lubricating systems



Aug. 8, E J GULICK FLOAT CONTROLLED SUCTION INTAKE DEVICE FOR FORCED FEED LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 29', 1952 Hql ' 1 The vprevailing practice 'in internal combus- 1,369,239, granted to the February 22, .1921, andwith the art to which it relates'frorn the follow- Patented Aug. 8 ,1933 7 pmr en stares AT NT OFFICE FLOAT-{CONTROLLED SUCTION lNTAKE DE VICE FOR FORCED FEED LUBRICATING SYSTEMS I Edward J. Gulick, El m, Ind. is

Application January 23,1932. Serial No. 589,689 4. Claims. (cr me-6y Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the float, on a reduced scale, withthe screenand plate attachment omitted.

Fig. 4' is a top plan'view, partly in horizontal section, of a portion of the pumpintake or suction pipe, on the line 4. 4 of Fig.2..

Fig. 5 is a detail in horizon'tal section on the line 55 of Fig. 2. V

Referring to Fig. 1,, designates as an entirety the base or crankcase of afmultiple .cylinder internal combustion engine, within which is mounted the usual crankshaft 11 rotatably supported inbearings l2. l3'indicates an oil circulation. pump of the gear type mounted within the enginebase and. driven by thegears i l and and the shaft .16 from the engine'shaft. l7 designates a portion of the suction inlet pipe of the pump, and 18 designates the discharge pipefiof the pump which, through suitable branches, leads to the several crank shaft and other bearings forlubrication thereof. 5

- The engine base is formed'with a'bottom opening 19 which may be covered by an oil reservoir or pan 20 secured to the base in anysuitable man ner, and equippedwiththe usual drainage plug Connected to and communicating with the lower end of' the suction inlet pipe 17 is a fla tenedextensionpipe. section preferably .comprising; mating upper and lower sections 22 and 23 united by folded and crimped edges 24, the

lower section 23 being preferably provided with a foot 25 resting on the bottom of the oil pan 20, so as to support the extension section of the suction inlet pipe in a substantiallyhorizontal position. The upper member 22 is formed with a threaded upstanding nozzle 26, onwhich is mounted an upright tubular float'guide desigates as an'e ntirety'by 27J In the form of the invention herein illustrated, the tubular guide 27 is formedat its upper end with acircular group of laterally extended guide lugs 28 (see Fig.5) for a purpose presently explained, and a slight distance below its upperend with a circular group of ports 29. .Slightly. below theiportsg29, the 100 wall of the guide 27. is bentoutwardly to form-an annular rib 30 that: serves as a stoptojlimit the upward movement ofthe float, as hereinafter described; v r

' Describing next the floatitself, this,in the form This. invention relates to float controlled suction intake devices for forced feedlubricating systems such as are extensively employed in con-. nection with'internal combustion enginesespe cially'in automobile practice; tion engine lubrication for many years consist ed in pumping oilfrom a pool carried'in the en gine base, or other container, and forcing it through the oil circulating system to the various bearings to belubr'icated. In such a system, dirt, water, carbon, gasoline and other deleterious substances would accumulate and collect in theengine base, settling tothe bottom of the pool of oil, and since the suction pipe of the pump extended nearly to thebottom of the pool of oil, much of this sedimentwas pumped tothe bearings, frequently causing serious injury. Also, water collecting at the bottom of the pool would freeze in cold weather, partially or wholly sealing the sucv 0 tion pipe of the pump, and thus temporarily putting the lubricating systemfout of service.'-

7 With ayiew to remedying these faults, Iheretofore designed an oiling, system for internal combustion engines. disclosed in Letters Patent characterized by the provision of a lubricant sue tion inlet member that is buoyantly sustaine'din the lubricant pool so that only the oil at or near the top of the pool is forced through the lubricatiing systennthe suction inlet member being float controlled and, of course, rising and falling with the variations in level of the oil pool. V

The device ofmy present inventionis of the same general character and for the same purposes as that of my former Letters Patent aboveidenti I lied, the objects in'jview' in the present invention being to providea somewhatsimpler and cheaper equipment, and one, better designed to effec tively seal the suctioninlet against the intake of air with the oil.

' The device of the present invention, its mode of operation, and the advantages inherent therein willbereadily understood by persons familiar ingdescription, taken in connection with the ac companying drawing. whereinlhave illustrated one simple vand practical embodiment of the principle of the invention, and in which:-

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the engine Ken base of an automobile motor, showing my present improved suction intake device applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in side-elevaw tion andpartly in axial section, of the float controlled'suction intake device itself.

hereinshown, comprises a central upright sealing sleeve 31 closed at its upper end and formed with an external annular flange 32 at its lower end; and a hollow body member 33 encircling member being welded or otherwise secured to the sealing sleeve at 34, and the'bottom wall being similarly welded or otherwise secured to the flange 32, as shown at 35. By reference toFigs.

2 and 3, it will be observed that the bottom wall of the float is formed with a circular group of radial depressed ribs 36, and over these-ribs is stretched a screen 37. The outer edges of the bottom wall of the float body and of the screen 37 are crimped in an annular head 38 on the lower edge of the float body, as clearly shown at the left in Fig. 2. overlyingthe screen 3f7- is' a centrally apertured plate 39, the inner periphery ofwhich is folded and crimped to grip the inner periphery of the screen 37, as shown at lil in Fig. 2, whileits outer periphery carries a group of spaced fingers 41 that are bent over the bead 38, so as to securely attach the plate 39 to the float body. ,The inner periphery of the plate 39 slidably engages the tubular guide 27. The open spaces between adjacent fingers '41 and bounded top and bottom by. the bead 38', and the outer peripheral edge of 'the'plate 39, form suction inlet'op'enings for the oil, the later flowing through said openings, through the screen 37, and through the spaces between the'ribs' 39 into the lower open end of the sealing sleeve 31, thence through the ports 29 to and through the interior of the tubul ar float guide 27, thence through thenozzle 26 and the suction. intake pipe to the pump. since the float itself is made suflicientlyrheavy that its lower peripheralportion in which the suction inletop'eningsiare formed is always below'thetop level of the oil. body, asshown in Fig. l, and since the intake of air is prevented by the sealing sleeve; 31, the pump will continu ously operateto draw off onlyfoil from theupperportion of the pool; the suction inlet openings be n always wellabove the level of anybody of water that, under normal conditions, might form thebottorn layer o f'theip'ool. As the oil is,

' exhausted from the pool, the float will, of course,

gradually descend with the level of the oil; and

when the pool isre-filled, the float willrise until arrested by the stop 3Q, as shown by full lines in Fig. Since the float is guidedat twq verticall'yspaced points'onthe tubular guide 27, it is .it is manifest that the structuraldetails'may be considerably varied without involving any change in the operativeprinciple of the device or sacrificing any of the advantages secured thereby.

Hence, I reserve all such variations and 'modiflcati'ons as fall within the spirit andpurview of g1: claim? '1". Iii'combination with the lubricant container upper end, a float formed with a central upright sealing sleeve encircling .and spaced from: said slightly below said upper end, a float formed with a central upright sealing sleeve encircling float guide and slidably engaged with said guide lugs, a centrally apertured plate attached to said float and having its inner periphery slidingly engaged. with said float guide, said plate being providedv with suction inlet ports for the flow of lubricant to the lower end of said sealing sleeve, and a suction pipe communicating withthe lower end of said float guide. a 2. In combination with the lubricant container ofan internal combustion engine, a suction pipe in said container, an upright tubular float guide mounted mans communicating with said suction pipe, said float guide formed at its upper end with lateral guide lugs and with a lateral port and spaced from said float guide and slidably engaged with said guide lugs, and a centrally apertured plate attached at its outer periphery to the lowerend of said float and having its inner periph'ery slidingly engaged with said float guide, said plate being provided with peripheral s'u'ce' tion inlet ports for the'flow'of' lubricant to; the lower end of said sealing sleeve.

v3. In combination with the lubricant container of an internal combustion engine, a suction pipe in said container, an upright tubular float guide mounted on and communicating with said su'ction pipe, said float guide formed at, its upper end with lateral guide lugs and with a lateral port slightly below said upper end, a float formedwitli a central upright sealing sle'eve encircling' and spaced from said float guide and slidably engage'd with said guide lugs, a centrally apertured plate attached at its outer periphery to the lower 1 0 end of said float and having its inner periphery slidingly engaged with said float guide, said plate being provided with peripheral suction inlet ports for the flow of lubricant to the lower end of said sealing sleeve, and a stopon said float guide be-' low said port cooperatingwith the inner perip'l'i eryof said plate to limit the rising movement of said float.

4. In combination with the lubricant container of an internal combustion engine, a suction pipe in said container, an upright tubular float guide mounted on and communicating with said suction pipe, said float guide formed with lateral guide lugs and with a port in its upper end p'or tion, a float formed'with a central upright sealing sleeve encircling and spaced from said float guide and slidablyengaged with said guide lugs, the

bottom wall of said float being formed "with radial channels communicating at their inner ends with the lower end of said sealing sleeve, a screen overlying the bottom wall of said float, and a centrally apertured plate underlying said screen and attached at its outer periphery to the lower end of said float and having its inner periphery slidingly engaged with said float guide, said plate being provided with peripheral suction inlet ports for the flow of lubricant through said screen and channels tothe lower endof saidsealing sleeve, and a stop onsaid float guide below said port cooperating with the inner periphery of said plate to limit the rising movement of said fl0at.-

EDWARD J. GULICK. 

